The present invention relates to a liquid dispensing closure especially useful on plastic squeeze bottles. Such bottles commonly contain liquid or semi-liquid substances, such as soft drinks, mineral water, cleaning liquids, ketchup, lubricating oil, etc.
The dispensing closure of the invention, in one embodiment, includes an axially slidable closure body having one open and two closed positions relative to a plastic cap member which fits into the neck portion of a plastic squeeze bottle. In the first of the two closed positions, the closure body has a first sealed connection with a plug type valve surface within the cap member, and the closure body has a sealed connection with a post extending axially within the cap member. Additionally, a sealed connection is provided by a tubular sleeve surrounding the post. The four positive seals thus provided provide very positive insurance against leakage.
In a second closed position, the closure body has a sealed connection with the post and the cap member sleeve, and the closure body is disengaged from the plug type valve surface. The purpose of this second closed position is to provide a low friction connection between the closure body and cap member, whereby the closure body can be easily and readily moved between the second closed position and a third open position with very little human effort. Typically, the closure body would be maintained in its second closed position during periods when the squeeze bottle is in active use for dispensing purposes,--e.g., while riding a motorcycle, driving a vehicle, during sports activities, or at meals or other occasions when it is desired that the squeeze bottle be closed, but readily available for quick intermittent dispensing of liquid with an easy movement of the closure body.
In another embodiment of the invention, the closure body has a closed position, an open position, and an intermediate position allowing a reduced quantity of liquid to flow through its dispenser opening. A sealing bead on the closure body acts as a deformable stop releasably to retain the closure body in its intermediate position. With the closure body in its intermediate position, a manual squeeze action on the plastic bottle causes a limited quantity of liquid to be discharged from the dispensing closure.
The dispensing closure may be so constructed that the closure body is confined to a straight push-pull motion between its limiting positions. Alternately, the closure may be designed to have a rotary lock motion when the closure body is in its fully closed position. The rotary lock motion includes a wedge or cam feature whereby a very tight seal is produced between the closure body and the cap member. A tight seal is desirable, e.g., when the bottle contains a carbonated beverage, thus requiring containment of the gas pressure in order to preserve the quality of the beverage.
In some respects the dispensing closures disclosed herein are similar to a closure means shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,936 to R. Hazard. However, the Hazard closure does not disclose significant features of the present invention, including a relatively easy slide motion of the closure body, or a large multiplicity of positive seals, or a variety of different closure positions, or a gas-tight rotary wedge lock action.